Roger Ebert Apologizes For Using N-Word In Tweet

Los Angeles — Roger Ebert apologized Thursday after facing heated criticism for using the n-word in a tweet on Wednesday.

The famed film critic used the word in a Wednesday tweet that linked to a story about the removal of the n-word from a recent version of “Huckleberry Finn.” The word has been replaced by “slave,” a fact Ebert referenced in the tweet:

“I’d rather be called a [N-word] than a Slave, ” he tweeted.

Ebert’s use of the word prompted a fierce backlash on Twitter. Some pointed out that, as a white man, Ebert is unlikely to be called either word.

On Thursday, Ebert posted another tweet, apologizing and linking to a blog post criticizing him:

“You know, this is very true. I’ll never be called a [N-word] *or* a Slave, so I should have shut the **** up.”